News

Apple rejects ‘South Park’ iPhone application

By Charles Starrett ● Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Apple has twice rejected a South Park application for the iPhone and iPod touch because the content was “potentially offensive.” Originally previewed in October, the app would allow users to stream clips, download wallpapers, read news, browse the show’s complete episode index, and choose character likenesses to use as contact images. A member of the team working on the app told Boing Boing Gadgets, “After a couple of attempts to get the application approved, we are sad to say that our app has been rejected…. But Apple did admit that the standards would evolve, citing that when iTunes first launched it didn’t sell any music with explicit lyrics. At this point, we are sad to say, the app is dead in the water. Sorry, South Park fans.”

Comments

1

This is terrible. Come on Apple. You sell R rated movies and explicit songs. What is the big deal.

Posted by ort on February 17, 2009 at 11:50 AM (CST)

1

They should release it via Cydia so at least jailbreakers could use it.

Posted by Patrick on February 17, 2009 at 11:57 AM (CST)

1

Good for Apple! Too bad they caved in on the explicit items. Now they should get rid of them and the R rated movies/TV Shows/Podcasts, etc. Fully Family Friendly would be nice!!

Posted by Pops on February 17, 2009 at 12:22 PM (CST)

1

Welcome to the new censorship

Posted by Ericc B on February 17, 2009 at 12:25 PM (CST)

1

Thanks Pops for protecting me from myself. Should the whole world revolve around protecting 10 year olds. South Park is a freakin’ TV show! The app sounds pretty funny!

Posted by Mark on February 17, 2009 at 12:54 PM (CST)

1

Agreed Mark. Protecting kids is the job of parents, not Apple.

Posted by Dale on February 17, 2009 at 1:07 PM (CST)

1

Yeah, thank you for protecting me from bad things Apple. Now I’m going to use your web browser do look at videos of people pooping on each other. Hurray!

Posted by ort on February 17, 2009 at 1:10 PM (CST)

1

So we can have a slew of Fart apps, but no South Park? That is pretty messed up!

Posted by Hayes on February 17, 2009 at 1:16 PM (CST)

1

I think the problem is that there is no way in the preferences to turn off apps or games with questionable content. I also don’t think iPhone games need to be rated by the ESRB so there probably aren’t M rated iPhone games… yet. But it won’t be long before they try and push some though. I know Metal Gear Solid is on the way to the iPhone and all of those games are rated MATURE.

Apple just needs to fix this so they Apps can be tagged as explicit and then iTunes needs a way to block it… just like they can block R rated movies or explicit songs.

Posted by ort on February 17, 2009 at 1:25 PM (CST)

1

~Good for Apple! Too bad they caved in on the explicit items. Now they should get rid of them and the R rated movies/TV Shows/Podcasts, etc. Fully Family Friendly would be nice!!~

POPS, you’re everything that’s wrong with the movement towards a world in which free speech is truly free and byzantine DRM and copyright laws can finally be overcome.

It’s not like it’s hurting anybody!

Posted by Scott Tenorman on February 17, 2009 at 2:42 PM (CST)

1

Apple sells episodes of South Park on the itunes store. So why would this app be more offensive than the show itself? Apple definitely needs to refine their criteria for approving and denying apps.

Posted by Kyle M on February 17, 2009 at 3:24 PM (CST)

1

I don’t know which is worse, Apple’s assumption that they need to decide which tv shows (which cleared the FCC by the way), or the comments like “Pops” that indicate just how many people want to limit or strip our freedoms. It’s a tv show for gawds sake! You should get a life of your own so you don’t feel so compelled to govern all of ours. The comment about ratings ability in iTunes sounds viable. Let’s hope this isn’t just another case of Big Brother or “1984” to make it more relevant to Apple. The execs at Apple seem to have little in common with their free thinking early years. What a shame.

Posted by Rick on February 17, 2009 at 3:55 PM (CST)

1

I guess we’ll be seeing an episode soon dedicated to Apple. I look forward to it

Posted by Joe on February 17, 2009 at 4:54 PM (CST)

1

How stupid are most of you?! Apple cannot currently restrict specific app downloads so of course they will not approve of a South Park app until that functionality is available. Get your heads out of your a***s and stop whining.

Posted by Jordan on February 17, 2009 at 6:07 PM (CST)

1

Normally I object to adding editorial content to “news” but the ignorance of many readers here would suggest that can be necessary sometimes. If Charles Starrett had mentioned that the iTunes store does not have parental restrictions for games/apps then MAYBE the 10+ comments against the lack of South Park App would have been avoided.

Posted by Jordan on February 17, 2009 at 6:12 PM (CST)

1

Well,
Apple can suck my balls! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, what I men to say was “HEY APPLE, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SUCK MY BALLS”?! Thank You.

Posted by todd Covelli on February 17, 2009 at 7:17 PM (CST)

1

so the south park app is dead in the water, just like the show?

Posted by dick bacon on February 17, 2009 at 11:48 PM (CST)

1

Well it’s not that Apple can’t restrict content to minors. It’s that they don’t. I have to wonder though, how many iPhone or iPod Touch owners are too young for exposure to South Park? Probably a small enough number for Apple to send someone round to both their houses and tell them not to download this app.

Posted by BeefJerky on February 18, 2009 at 2:01 AM (CST)

1

@Jordan:

There is an option to restrict games/apps in the iTunes store.

Posted by John on February 18, 2009 at 5:26 AM (CST)

1

John-

I know there is a way to restrict games via one’s computer-based iTunes but there is no app restriction there the option to restrict on an iPhone/iPod touch is an all or nothing approach.